Redemption
by Usami
Summary: /2nd Dimension/ After all, Doofenshmirtz wasn't the only one to blame...


I'm actually little surprised that there aren't more stories that take place in the other dimension. I've seen a few, but a lot less than I expected. I mean, the movie actually gave us a whole new way to screw with - er, I mean..._enjoy_ the series. Yeah, we'll go with that.

Anyway, here's another story I wrote about Perry the Platyborg, mostly because this was something I thought about at the end of the movie. There are minor ideas in this that kind of relate to my other '2nd dimension'-reality fic, "Step Back", but it's not really necessary to read that one in order to get this one. In fact, if you've read that one and then this one, you probably won't even realize that they're connected in anyway.

But enough out of me. Enjoy!

**Redemption**

Perry the Platyborg just wasn't sure what to do anymore.

When his programming was short-circuited during his battle against the other dimension Perry, it aborted all of his allegiance to Dr. Doofenshmirtz. But the result of that left him with little more than an invalid purpose and faded memories of an existence as a simple house pet. It was the first time he was truly uncertain, for at that point he didn't know what would happen.

The two boys, Phineas and Ferb – his previous owners, he had to keep reminding himself – invited him to return to their home with them…to become their pet once more. And he had accepted without thought, having nowhere else to go once the DEI building was shut down. He accompanied them, hoping to have an objective once again.

But he didn't miss the distrustful expression that their sister, Candace, continuously gave him. And he couldn't ignore the fear from the adults, Linda and Lawrence. It was easy to perceive their doubt…to know that they didn't want him there.

And it was the same wherever he went. The other members of the former resistance, fueled by Candace's misgivings; the neighborhood where they lived; the city once called Doofania…no matter where he was, the people who saw him were either scared or wary of his presence.

Phineas and Ferb were the only ones who showed no unease towards him. They constantly defended him, assuring others that he was no longer faithful to the evil dictator. They explained that he had once been their pet, and persisted that he was back to the way he was before.

And to Perry, that hurt far worse than any of the mistrust he'd been given.

Because truthfully, he didn't _remember_ the way he was before. He had vague reflections of being a pet, and the ability to switch to a mindless animal came far easier than he preferred. But he didn't remember being _their _pet. He didn't know anything about them, about what he might have done with them, how he came to be their pet…_nothing_. There was nothing past his awakening in the DEI, and Doofenshmirtz assigning him as army general.

Nothing…to help him understand why these two boys _cared_ about him so much. Only the retention of what he had done…their first brief reunion in the underground railways after how many years, and he held no recognition of them. He had pursued them, endangered their lives…and had no remorse for doing so. He had done nothing to warrant such forgiveness from them, and their constant acceptance of him did nothing to ease his guilt.

And even now, weeks after the end of Doofenshmirtz's rule and his return to the Flynn-Fletcher household, the thoughts and wonderings, the worries and questions continued to consume his mind. After all that time, he struggled to recover images of his past…images that simply weren't there. As much as he strived, as much as he _hoped_ for them, he could not retrieve the reason why these boys should mean so much to him…why _he _should mean so much to _them_.

With a regretful shake of his head, he gave up for the time being and closed his one real eye, deciding to get some rest for now. Above him he heard the boys shifting in their beds, gently prompted by their dreams.

Perry listened to their soft sounds of sleep as he lay on his stomach, settled on the floor in the space between the two boys' beds. The boys had once tried letting him sleep in their beds with them, not wanting to lose any more time with him even as they slept. But Perry quickly realized that his hard, rigid robotic body was uncomfortable to slumber beside. They never said anything, but he could see how little sleep they received after the nights he laid beside them, and since then remained on the floor between their beds instead.

A low, rueful growl escaped his beak. Somehow, he just seemed to cause trouble in every aspect of the boys' lives.

Pushing the thoughts away, Perry forced himself to relax and try to sleep. He was accompanying the boys in the morning to meet the other members of the former resistance, to repair more of the city. Even if none of _them_ wanted him there, he was attending because Phineas and Ferb asked him to help. He could do _that_ for them, at least.

Just as he was about to drift off, however, he was jolted awake by a signal flashing within the mainframe of his mind. Blinking his organic eye, Perry retrieved the alert, tracing its source and deciphering its message. He processed the information in only a few milliseconds, which was long enough for a growing sense of alarm to sweep through his system.

It was the indicator he received…when he was being summoned by Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

His limbs whirred as he rose onto his back legs. That couldn't be…! Dr. Doofenshmirtz was detained, his entire building offline! How could he be summoned to DEI _now_?

Perry wasn't sure. But he needed to find out.

* * *

><p>The entrance on the roof was already opened, and a knot of worry tightened in Perry's coils as he approached. Someone was expecting him…but he feared who that someone was.<p>

Entering the building, Perry took note of the bright lights that shouldn't be on as he descended, landing on the ground and facing the desk as he had done so many times during the doctor's rule. But the figure behind the desk was not the man he had anticipated.

"Greetings…_Agent P_," Francis Monogram addressed, his hands folded as they rested on the desk.

Perry blinked as he stared down the man. He had not seen this man since a brief moment after Doofenshmirtz's arrest. Just what was he doing here at such an hour? Why had he powered up the building?

And why did he refer to him as 'Agent P'?

After a long silent moment, Monogram slid the chair back and stood, folding his arms behind his back. "You really don't remember me, do you, Agent P?" he questioned as he slowly came around the desk.

Frowning, the platyborg watched the man curiously. He had seen him occasionally, whenever the doctor had called them both at one time, but he otherwise had little interaction with the previously indentured executive assistant.

He looked up as Monogram stood before him, unsure what he was trying to get at or what he wanted. Monogram studied him for a moment longer, and though Perry was beginning to feel slightly discomfited, he somehow felt that this exchange was important.

"You know, Agent P," Monogram suddenly said, breaking the tension momentarily, "for the past few years, I've been trying to determine exactly what your position is…how deep your loyalty to Doofenshmirtz actually ran." His gaze bore hard into the platyborg. "The true extent of your betrayal."

Perry's eye widened. Betrayal? Who…? He knew that he had betrayed his owners, deliberately or not, but whom else had he turned against?

As if sensing his questions, Monogram began to pace as he spoke again. "Several years ago, you were one of our best agents of the O.W.C.A. Even though Doofenshmirtz had already taken control of the Tri-State area, you were an essential figure in keeping Doofenshmirtz's rule from escalating and becoming worse than it already was."

Perry watched the man, thoughts racing through his mind like an electrical current. He had been an agent…fighting _against_ Doofenshmirtz?

"However," Monogram continued, drawing Perry's attention again, "after a particular assignment to infiltrate this very building, you failed to check-in…or return. Weeks passed, but we heard no word from you, and we were unable to contact you. Then the next thing we knew, you appeared at the agency as the Platyborg, general of Doofenshmirtz's robot army. You destroyed HQ and captured several members of the organization, myself included." Pausing in his steps, Monogram looked at Perry with a critical eye. "Do you remember?"

Perry started at the man; not even his computerized brain could process Monogram's words quickly enough. Unable to give any other answer, he numbly shook his head.

Monogram's mustache twitched a little, and he resumed his pacing. "Well, in any case, we've finally determined the appropriate disciplinary response for your actions these past few years. It's necessary, you understand."

The platyborg sighed, the robotic tone causing it to rumble lowly. He supposed it was inevitable that he'd face charges as well. Doofenshmirtz may have commanded his deeds, but that didn't excuse him from facing responsibility. He deserved punishment for the wrongs he committed.

Monogram cleared his throat. "Very well," he said with clear authority. "Now, Agent P, I hereby –"

"_No, wait!_"

Both Perry and Monogram turned at the sound of the voice, watching in surprise as Phineas and Ferb appeared from the shadows, rushing towards the platyborg.

"What are you boys doing here?" Monogram demanded, and Perry's frantic expression as the boys stood beside him wondered the same thing.

"We woke up when you left," Phineas explained, his eyes fixed on the confused android, "and we followed you down here." Turning to Monogram, he implored, "Please…please don't do anything to Perry. He's changed! Really, he's good again!"

Monogram sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Phineas, but Agent P must face the consequences of what he's done."

Somehow, without Perry realizing it, both Phineas and Ferb stood between him and Monogram, as though trying to protect him from the man towering over all of them. "But it's not _fair_!" Phineas argued, his voice thick with emotions he could barely hold back. "We just got Perry back! You _can't_ take him away from us again!"

Though Ferb said nothing, he gave a firm nod in agreement, holding out a shielding arm to keep Perry behind them.

One side of Monogram's brow rose as he frowned. "Well, I –"

Suddenly Perry stepped forward, placing a hand on both the boys' arms. They turned to look at him, and he returned their gazes with a somber expression.

Realizing what the cyborg meant, Phineas faced him completely. "But, Perry…" he murmured, "you can't…!"

Perry simply shook his head, his organic eye wide as he pleaded for their understanding. This was for the best, and he longed to help them realize that. Because as much as he appreciated them coming to his defense once again…as touched as he was that they deeply wished to keep him, he knew that he couldn't avoid this.

For if he wanted to feel like he _deserved_ to be their pet…to feel like he _deserved_ the compassion and the care that they gave him so freely, then he _had_ to do something to make up for the terrible things he did. He wanted to find a way to fix the problems he caused…so he could feel as though he was worthy of everything the boys believed him to be.

His only regret now was that doing the right thing would once again take him away from the boys. The misery in their expressions was difficult to bear, and he wondered how much more pain he would have to cause them before it was enough.

So when the boys knelt beside him and pulled him into a tight embrace, he didn't protest. It was all he could do to comfort them now.

Their attention was drawn back to Monogram when the man loudly cleared his throat. "I, um…I'm not sure what you're thinking," he began awkwardly, shifting in place self-consciously, "but…it's not like we're going to lock you up or anything."

Perry's eye widened, and even the boys exchanged surprised looks as they rose to their feet. "Really?" Phineas asked hesitantly, as though afraid to believe it.

"Well, it _was_ an option," Monogram admitted. "But we only considered it until we could determine how aware Agent P was during the period he was working for Doofenshmirtz. We needed to see how much he could remember, assess the degree he was accountable…and how willing he was to make amends for his actions."

Perry gaped at him. Had this all been a test? Had Monogram planned all this out _just_ to gauge the amount of regret he felt for what he'd done?

"So…" Phineas – unaware of Perry's thoughts – began slowly, unable to keep the hopefulness from his voice, "does that mean we're _not_ gonna lose Perry?"

Monogram looked at the platyborg, as if he was contemplating his answer. "Well, I don't believe that will be necessary. Given the circumstances, I think you've all suffered enough. Besides, Agent P isn't the _only_ one to blame for everything that's happened."

Perry frowned slightly; he wasn't completely certain, but for a moment he thought he detected a trace of guilt in the man's tone.

But as he began to wonder whether he'd heard correctly, the moment was gone, and Monogram regained his composure. "Of course, you realize that _something_ must be done, Agent P. Though you're not entirely at fault, disciplinary measures must be taken."

Phineas and Ferb looked on with worry, but Perry simply nodded, ready to take the necessary punishment.

Monogram returned the nod. "Very well. Now, as I was saying before I was _interrupted_…" He glanced at Phineas, who simply grinned, before his gaze returned to Perry. "Agent P, since you are no longer an active field agent, you are now reassigned under Special Ops, and will be working confidential missions when specified by me."

Perry's eye blinked, and he glanced at Phineas and Ferb who seemed equally stunned. "Well, that doesn't seem so bad," Ferb quipped.

Monogram gave the green-haired boy a look but made no reply. Instead, he continued, "For now, you will continue helping the former resistance clean the city, but your first mission will be ready for you soon. I will contact you, and you will report here for a briefing."

Perry nodded slightly. He had to admit that he was slightly curious about what kind of mission he would be given, but he knew it ultimately wasn't important. Whatever it was, he would do his best in order to complete it.

The three of them watched as Monogram return to the desk, silent for a moment. Then, in a soft voice, Phineas suddenly asked, "Can…can we help?"

Monogram paused, both he and Perry looking at the red-haired boy. "What?"

"Me 'n' Ferb," Phineas clarified, motioning to his silent brother. "When you assign Perry his mission. Can we help?"

Perry looked toward Monogram, entirely expecting the man to refuse. Instead, he was surprised to witness him thinking, actually _considering_ it.

"Perhaps," Monogram finally replied after a moment.

Phineas grinned, he and Ferb exchanging a victorious high-five. Perry kept his attention on Monogram, giving the man a suspicious glare.

The mustached man met the gaze coolly. "Relax, Agent P. Since you're Special Ops and no longer a field agent, you're missions won't be as dangerous as they once were. There should be nothing to put the boys at risk. And anyway, you might actually _need_ their assistance."

Perry frowned; now he was exceedingly interested in what this mission would be.

But Monogram gave no further information. "At the moment," he said, sitting at the desk, "you three should return home and get some rest. We'll contact you when we need you."

"Yes sir!" Phineas exclaimed, he and Ferb saluting the man. Hesitantly, Perry did the same. When Monogram dismissed them, the two boys quickly headed for the elevator, eager to get back home. The platyborg followed them, but paused for a moment to glance back at the man curiously.

Could it really be that easy? After everything he did…after all he did wrong, was this really all he needed to make up for it?

"C'mon, Perry!"

Looking forward, he noticed the boys already in the elevator waiting for him. With one last look at Monogram, he hurried to catch up to them.

"Aw, man, I can't believe this!" Phineas said as the elevator doors closed. He looked down at Perry, his eyes shining with excitement. "This is so great! Not only do you get to stay, but we get to help you when you get your mission! How awesome is that!"

Ferb flashed a quick thumbs-up in agreement, then gently rubbed Perry's head. Though platyborg was still a little concerned about the boys being involved in this 'mission' – whatever it would be – he couldn't help but smile slightly. If this _was_ the chance he was given to make up for his mistakes, then he wasn't complaining. The boys were happy enough, and as long as they were safe – as long as he kept them safe – then it was an opportunity he was willing to take.

It was finally his time to make things right, and he would not waste it.

**The End**

I had actually planned to make a series revolved around a certain idea I had regarding the 2nd dimension, and in fact had planned another story that further explained Monogram's behavior and intentions that I barely touched up here. But...I don't know. I'm wondering if I really want to write it, and if continuing such a series would be interesting. What do you guys think? If you can, let me know. Later!**  
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